Master of the Sterzingen Altar Panels,(active between 1427 and 1467)
»The Magi with Retinue«

c. 1450/1455, Tempera and oil on spruce

This work originally formed part of an altar wing panel painted on both sides from Heiligkreuztal. The scene shows a procession of mounted figures whose movement from right to left is halted by an event taking place outside the picture - presumably the discovery of the stable in Bethlehem. The three riders, distinguished by their more elaborate dress, carry standards bearing the emblems of the Magi. The Eastern Magi are typically differentiated by age, through which they come to represent the three phases of life. [ EW ]